Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 31952 on Elections: Expenditure, what guidance the Commission has provided on (a) whether a battlebus must be declared as a local candidate expense if the candidate participates in campaigning with the battlebus and (b) the definitions of (i) directing, (ii) encouraging and (iii) authorising the spending.

The Commission has published guidance for parties and candidates on how to distinguish between party and candidate spending, and how to report such spending. The classification of spend on a battlebus visit will depend on whether the spending promotes the party or the candidate.

Activity promoting the candidate must be reported on the candidate return if it is authorised by the candidate or qualifies as notional spending. There is a £700 limit on unauthorised spending to promote the candidate, which would be reported on the party return. The Commission’s guidance includes a number of examples of campaign events and how these would be reported.

The Commission has also published guidance on the tests for notional spending, including how to identify when an item has been made use of by the candidate or someone on their behalf. Someone can only make use of an item on behalf of the candidate if that use has been directed, authorised, or encouraged by the candidate or their agent.

The Commission has not published a specific definition of “directed, authorised, or encouraged”; these terms are interpreted according to their commonplace use.